Regret in Time
by twenty1down
Summary: Brennan changes her mind about love and the way it should affect her life, but is it too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so this was just a random idea I had. It's only going to be a few chapters, but I already have them done, so it won't be long until the next update. Please review! It is very much appreciated. Enjoy :D**

**P.S. Has anyone noticed Booth's ID says SSA? As in Supervisory Special Agent? Hmmm…?**

**Title: **Regret in Time

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Brennan changes her mind about love and the way it should affect her life, but is it too late?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones, but if I did, Hannah wouldn't exist.

**A/N:** I only made the rating K+ for death. I'm not sure it has to even be that, it could still be K.

Line…

She opened her eyes only to still be shrouded in darkness. As the rest of her senses slowly started working again, she was faintly aware of someone breathing near to her. She panicked momentarily, thinking it was her partner until she remembered he wasn't with her earlier.

Her head throbbed as she turned to see who it was. The pain threatened to send her back into unconsciousness, but she was determined to know what was happing to her.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan." A deep masculine voice alerted her to a man sitting nearby.

She tried to remember the voice from somewhere, but failed. Identifying her captor hadn't worked, so now she should just figure out where she was and why. She tried hard to think rationally, but it was very difficult to think at all.

"Who are you?" her own voice startled her. It was dry and hoarse, not displaying any of the confidence associated with the doctor.

The man ignored her. "Are you happy with your life Dr. Brennan?" He didn't wait for her answer, not that she would have anyway. "Have you done something truly useful? Have you had fun? Have you been truly happy? Have you fallen in love?" he sneered at the last word.

She drew in a sharp breath, tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I have. It's a beautiful thing really. Just a smile on their face and you warm up inside. Their pain is your pain. You share your happiness. They're your best friend." She heard a sniffle, almost as if the man next to her was crying. "Have you ever experienced that Dr. Brennan?"

She let the tears fall freely as she nodded slowly. The man laughed a small laugh.

"Yeah? Well I guess it's over now, huh?" He stood and walked out of the small room, letting in a shred of light, and leaving her alone.

With much effort, she curled herself into a ball, abandoning the ever strong Dr. Temperance Brennan and letting her emotions take over. It would do no good to think, her brain was severely clouded and her body was weak. She was scared, and for once she could admit it. Most of all though she was regretful. Listening to the man, she realized she _had_ fallen in love, but she chose to push it aside. It was an irrational thing, just chemicals in the brain reacting to outside stimuli. That's what she had thought before. Only now, when she had felt it, did she come to think she may have been wrong. Only now, when she may lose it all.

She had _fallen_ in love. But she would never get to _experience_ love. Sure all those things he said pertained to her. She was in love. Her heart would warm when he smile, his brown eyes sparkling at her. When he was hurt, so was she, struggling to find a way to make him happy again, sorry for his pain. When he was happy, she was too, smiling and laughing together. But she would never get to feel the protection of her lover's arms around her, the warmth of the kisses he pressed to her lips, the passion in his eyes when he looked at her, or the love in every word, spoken just for her. Her sobs got heavier as she realized all that she had missed. She struggled to catch her breath, partially from the crying, but also from the anguish and grief that surrounded her heart. The pain in her head worsened and she finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

_His arms tightened around her, gentle but strong, pulling her closer. The protection of his arms comforted her. She looked deep into his warm brown eyes as they looked back at her. She never would have believed it before, but it was clear he truly loved her, all in his eyes. He smiled, his eyes sparkled, and her heart warmed as he leaned in closer to her. His forehead rested against hers, and their lips brushed as he whispered to her, as if it was a secret, just for the two lovers. "I love you." She smiled back at him before pressing a kiss to his waiting lips._

Her eyes fluttered open and she felt hand beneath her. For a moment hope flooded over her. He had saved her, just like he always did. When she turned her head, that hope was quickly replaced with dread and she began to cry again as she left her dream world of what she would never be able to have. She finally got a good look at her captor, even through her tears. It was a Caucasian man, tall and thin. He had no hair on his head, but had a thick beard. She didn't remember the man. If she had, she would have immediately recognized the eyes. His almost black eyes seemed to burn her as she looked back at them. She tried to fight back, but her body refused to listen. She was totally helpless. Feeling her weak attempts at escaping, a malicious grin spread over the lips of the man carrying her as he set her down on a mattress. She looked over to see where she had been lying last night, just a few feet away. It was a small room, probably a basement. The only occupants were some pipes, a water heater, and the mattress she now lay on.

"Well Dr. Brennan, I gave everything needed to find you to your team, just to give you a small chance, but it seems as though they have finally failed." She saw him smile as he continued to speak. "Honestly, you should have been dead by now. I gave you my own concoction of drugs which should have had you dead almost half an hour ago. Lucky you I guess. Too bad it won't last. I hope you're comfortable." He finished his speech and walked away. She watched him pause at the small wooden door across the room. "Do you want your body sent to the Jeffersonian or your partner at the FBI? The latter would be difficult seeing as how I don't know exactly who to send you to, but it can be done. What a message right?"

"Why?" Her voice was a mere squeak, but enough to stop him, before he left. The smile on his face had gone. Rage and Fury now burned in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Brennan didn't hear it. As close as she had come to having an answer, blackness took over her vision and the sound of the man's voice faded into nothingness. Now would have been when Booth came save her, but not this time. _There always has to be a limit._She thought. She searched her mind for his face as her limbs got heavy and pressure arose in her chest. Booth's smile was the last thing she thought of before she totally lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's chapter two. When you're done you should press the little button that says review and write some stuff. Hope you guys and gals enjoy :D Another observation. Why is Hodgins the only one who doesn't have an office? **

**Title: **Regret in Time

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Brennan changes her mind about love and the way it should affect her life, but is it too late?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones, but if I did, Hannah wouldn't exist.

**A/N:** I only made the rating K+ for death. I'm not sure it has to even be that, it could still be K.

Line…

He walked down the street to his apartment. It had been a long day and all he wanted to do was go to sleep. His feet were heavy as he padded up the stairs and through the hallway to his apartment. He opened the door and headed straight for the shower. His jacket was thrown on the floor behind him. A thump sounded through the empty apartment, his phone forgotten in the pocket. Ignoring the sound, he started the water for his shower.

He stood in the shower, letting the water burn away his stresses. He dropped his head and sighed as he heard his phone ring. A beep followed after only a few rings. He dried himself off and grabbed some clothes before he went to his phone. The number was blocked, but he thought nothing of it. He climbed into bed as he dialed voicemail, hoping that it was something that could wait until tomorrow.

"_Agent Booth, I have Dr. Temperance Brennan. I have only recently come to realize that you are, were, Dr. Brennan's partner. It's very interesting really. A scientist and a cop. Honestly, you should be here with her, for you are probably as much as at fault, but, I've said too much already. Well, I sent everything necessary to the Jeffersonian, as there is nothing the FBI will be able to do. I called you only as a courtesy, Agent Booth. Don't try to hard, this is purely science._

By the end of the message, he was out of bed and in his SUV, and on his way to the Jeffersonian. The traffic around him was thick and he was moving to slow. Frustrated, he flipped his siren and sped his way through the streets. His SUV was barely in park before he was out and running to the buildings entrance. He barged through the doors and made his presence known in the platform, ignoring the alarms. Cam quickly rushed over and reached behind him to silence it. She rested her hands on his chest and slowly pushed him back off the platform.

"Seeley, what are you doing here? You need to leave." She whispered.

"I got a call." He held up his phone for emphasis. Cam's eyes widened, immediately knowing what it was about.

"Go to Angela. Have her listen to it." She started to walk away, but was stopped by his hand on her arm.

"Cam, what is going on? What happened to Bones?" his voice was stern, but there was fear in his eyes.

Cam took a breath before she spoke. 'I sent Dr. Brennan out for lunch. She'd been here since last night. I was worried. She needed a break. She needed to eat." Her voice cracked as she explained herself. The tears that threatened were obvious, but she continued. "She didn't come back and I was a little worried, but I figured she had just fallen asleep or something. About six hours ago, two hours or so after she left at eleven, we got this package. It had a bunch of stuff on it that's supposed to help us find her. They said no law enforcement, so I didn't call you." He nodded when she was done.

"Did they say why?" she shook her head. "Ok. I'm going to take this to Angela, and then I'll be back. You're going to tell me everything you know about what was in that box." He let go of her arm, which had gone from an iron grip to a comforting hand during her speech, and walked off to the artist's office.

"Booth!" Angela exclaimed when she saw him walk into her office.

"Angela, I got a call. Cam said to give it to you." He held the phone out for her. She grabbed from his hand and immediately got to work. Booth took that as a sign that it was time to leave.

"Booth, wait." He turned around to look at her, tears falling down her face. "You're going to find her right?"

He walked back over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Yes, Ange. I'm going to find her. I promise."

She pulled away from him. "Ok, ok. Go. Now. Find her."

He smiled a reassuring smile at her and walked out of her office to a waiting Cam. Back on the platform, he was demanding answers and explanations, but no matter how much he wanted to, needed to, hear the facts the pathologist was spouting off, his mind was elsewhere. He was angry that he couldn't protect her. And he was scared. Nightmares had haunted him of this very thing. What if he couldn't save her in time? There was always a limit. He was slowly falling apart inside. He was terrified that he would be too late. His heart was broken. No crushed, it couldn't be broken. Panic was overtaking him. He needed to help her, but there was nothing he could do right now. He felt useless.

Cam's voice was still present and he pulled himself back to reality. "And there was a note. Hodgins analyzed it, but didn't find anything. He's working on the other smaller things now. I'm assuming Angela is working on the voicemail. I should go listen to that. I'll-" he raised his hand to stop her. He was only half listening, so he didn't realize she was about to leave anyway.

"I need to go think." He walked off to the only quiet place he could think of. His hand lingered on the door handle before he went in. As soon as he was inside, he was surrounded by her. His heart ached all over again. He sighed and made his way over to the couch. He sat down and let his head fall into his hands. His chest tightened and a tear slowly began to fall. He was terrified. What if he never sees her again? What if-

"Booth!" Cam's voice pushed his thoughts back yet again. He stood up, wiping away the tear.

"Booth. Hodgins got something. Booth!" she walked away, him following closely behind her. They met Hodgins on the platform. The entomologist was pacing furiously, waiting for Booth and Cam.

He started to speak as soon as he saw them. "I re-examined the envelope, and I found something. Well I saw it before, but I didn't think it was important. Then I remembered something Dr. B said-"

"Hodgins!" Cam focused him on the important facts.

"Sorry. So I tested it anyway and it turned out to be phacci-"

"Hodgins! I don't care how! What did you find? Where is Bones?" this time Booth.

He stuttered a little before talking again. "I traced it to a field about thirty miles east. Angie looked it up, there's a house, a barn, nearby. She sent the address to your GPS." Booth turned on his heel and within minutes he was on the highway, sirens blaring.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we go…chapter 3. I don't know if some of the stuff later in the chapter is possible, but it seems like it could possibly work. Please, please review. Enjoy :D Why does Cam have a special "outfit" while everyone else has lab coats…hmmm?**

**Title: **Regret in Time

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Brennan changes her mind about love and the way it should affect her life, but is it too late?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones, but if I did, Hannah wouldn't exist.

**A/N:** I only made the rating K+ for death. I'm not sure it has to even be that, it could still be K.

Line…

After about forty-five minutes, he pulled up to a house. It was surrounded by nothing but field. Booth finally reached for his radio to call for back-up, forgetting to do so in a rush to get to Brennan.

Slowly, he walked up to the house, gun drawn. A few lights were on inside. After walking around the perimeter and determining there was only one person inside, he decided to go through the front. His foot made heavy contact with the door and he barged in. There was a man at a table who quickly pulled out a shotgun. Booth didn't hesitate, pulling the trigger and sending the man into the counter behind him. The frantic agent checked the house, but found it otherwise empty. He searched again, and again, and finally found a door he had assumed was a closet before. He opened it to reveal a staircase heading down. Slowly he made his way downstairs, his gun still ready.

Then he saw her. He holstered his weapon quickly and walked over to the mattress she was lying on. She wasn't moving, her skin was pale and cold. He checked for a pulse, but couldn't find one. His heart broke. Carefully he lifted her off the bed she was in, and made his way out of the house. He set her in the back of his SUV then called for the address of the closest hospital. On the way there, all his nightmares came back. He had failed. He was too late. Now she was gone. All he could do was feel guilty and responsible.

Seeley Booth was not a man that cries. He wasn't insensitive, but he didn't cry. Now that the woman he loved was…no, she's not. She'll live. She is strong. But just the thought brought tears to his eyes. They blurred his vision as he pulled into the hospital. They gave him a headache as he handed her over to the doctors and was forced to wait. They put him to sleep as he waited, hour after hour. He was awoken by an elderly nurse with a kind face.

"Are you Seeley Booth?"

He jumped up, answering her question. The tightness in his chest turned to a vice grip around his heart as he listened to her speak.

"She was injected with a variety of chemicals, many of which would cause death instantly.

His breath caught in his throat and he threw his head into his hands. He sat down and let the nurse continue. She joined him on the bench and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"But they made a mistake." Booth's head snapped up to look at the nurse. His eyes sparkled with unshed tears and hope. "Just because they work well alone doesn't mean they work better together. He didn't know that. A few of the drugs counteracted with each other. That's what kept her alive. Her pulse was extremely weak and she was very close to…. That's not the point. We flushed out the drugs and did everything we had to. She's fragile right now. She could still have last minute, unexpected reactions to the drugs, though that's unlikely."

Booth's lips were upturned into the biggest smile. He was standing now, waiting to get the okay to see her. She would be okay He wasn't too late.

"But she's okay, right? Can I see her?" the smile on the nurses face was no where near Booths, but it was clear she was happy for him.

"Yes, you can, but be careful, quiet. She is asleep." He followed the nurse to Brennan's room. At the door she left them to be alone. He opened it to see the usually vibrant Dr. Brennan, pale, quiet, fragile. He smiled at her though. It was a sympathetic, but relief filled smile. He pulled up a chair to the side of the bed and took her hand in his.

"Hey Bones. It's me. Booth. I'm sorry I was late, but I got you. You're going to be okay. As usual, your squints figured it out. They're gonna be here in the morning. I told them to sleep. But I'm not leaving. I'm gonna stay, right till the end.' He took a breath and looked at her. She was beautiful. In a simple sort of way, not like the fake girls from magazines. Here she lay, sick, no makeup, no special clothes, but she was just as beautiful as ever. He admired her. Her beauty, her intelligence, her strength. He vowed to himself things would change.

After his coma, he was sure he loved her. He didn't want to scare her away though. After today he refused to go any longer without telling her. He wanted a chance at happiness, with her. And he wasn't going to lose her without that chance, for either of them. He leaned in to place a kiss on her check.

"Ya know Bones? I was really scared. Terrified, really. I didn't think I'd be able to get you in time. It was like my worst nightmare had come true. I never told you about the nightmares did I? Yeah, I would dream I couldn't save you, that I was late. I know you trust me to save you, but I don't always trust myself. I'm not invincible you know. But this time I got to you. It was close though. You were so…cold." His voice cracked. He rested his head on their joined hands and for about the fourth time that day, he started to cry. The tears fell from his eyes at the memory of her there, like that. "I was so scared Bones. I thought you were dead. I thought I lost you." He was startled by a hand on his cheek. When he looked up, he was met with beautiful blue eyes.

**See? I would never kill Brennan? That would be sad.**


	4. Chapter 4

**So here is the end. It's quite short, but I figured it could be another chapter. Please don't forget to review. Enjoy :D And I'd like to thank my Beta, gocubsgo17, for all her help. Thank You!**

**Title: **Regret in Time

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Brennan changes her mind about love and the way it should affect her life, but is it too late?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones, but if I did, Hannah wouldn't exist.

**A/N:** I only made the rating K+ for death. I'm not sure it has to even be that, it could still be K.

Line…

"Bones!" he let go of her hand and threw his arms around her. "Oh, thank God." He quickly let go when he remembered her condition, only to take her hand again.

"Booth…" her voice was weak and it scared him.

"Do you need anything? Are you in pain? Do you need the nurse?"

"No, Booth, just listen to me." she wanted to get it done with. She had waited too long, and almost lost him.

"Are you okay Bones?"

"Booth." She took a breath, readying herself. "I don't believe in love-"

Booth looked at her confused as to why she would say this, and then his face fell and even she could see the sadness in his eyes. "I know Bones-"

"Booth. Stop talking." She looked at him and continued when she felt he wouldn't interrupt her anymore. "I don't believe in love, it's a chemicals and reactions and I can't grasp that concept of it being anything else, but you do. You were willing to take a chance on me and I said no because I believed I couldn't devote myself to you, all of me, like you can. I don't do monogamy well Booth. But when I was, uh…. I have come to realize that you mean more to me than anything else in the world." Booth smiled at her, and she smiled back, but continued with her speech. "If you are willing, I'd like to prove to you that I _can_ change, that I _have_ changed. I want to devote myself to you Booth. I want-"

She was stopped by his finger on her lips. The smile on his face was even bigger than before.

"Bones. You have nothing to prove to me. I already know you have the biggest heart of anyone I know, metaphorically, and I already know you are one of the most loyal people like _ever_. You don't have to ask me for anything, Bones. Besides, I'm already yours. Always have been, always will be."

"Thank you Booth." She smiled at him and watched as he pushed the call button for the nurse.

"Thank you, Bones." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I love you."

"Booth, I-" she started to speak, to tell him that she couldn't love him. She didn't believe in that kind of thing, but she was willing to get as close to it as possible. "I'm-"

"I know, Bones, I know."

**Thanks for reading and sticking with me through this. Have a nice day :D**


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